The Productivityist Podcast: Ideas And Tools For Personal Productivity | Time Management | Goals | Habits | Working Better

Hamza Khan is a best-selling author, global keynote speaker, and respected thought leader whose TEDx talk "Stop Managing, Start Leading" has garnered nearly two million views. He is trusted by prominent organizations such as Microsoft, LinkedIn, and Salesforce to optimize performance and enhance human potential, and has been featured in notable media outlets like VICE and Business Insider. As the Co-Founder of SkillsCamp, Hamza aims to empower organizations to thrive in the future of work through soft skills training, and regularly shares actionable insights on leadership, resilience, and productivity. In this episode, we cover a wide range of topics, including ego, productivity, and journaling. We also dive into Hamza's latest book, "Leadership, Reinvented," which focuses on fostering empathy, servitude, diversity, and innovation in the workplace. As a co-founder of a leading soft skills training company, Hamza brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this discussion, making it both practical and engag

Amber Hawley is a licensed therapist and lifestyle strategist who works with entrepreneurial individuals and couples with the emotional side of business. She is the owner of a therapy practice in Silicon Valley, host of The Easily Distracted Entrepreneur and Couples Fix podcasts, wife, mom of three kids, and Marvel movie super fan.  Amber's journey from working in the tech industry to becoming a therapist is truly inspiring. Her passion for people and building meaningful relationships was at the center of every decision she made. We delved into topics such as work-life balance, mental health, and personal growth. It's amazing to see how her passion has translated into not just one, but two successful podcasts that are focused on helping others. Our discussion on work-life balance and mental health was also very relevant, especially given the current pandemic situation.  This episode was an insightful and engaging conversation that I'm sure you'll enjoy just as much as I did. Links Worth Exploring Connect wit

If you're interested in human performance and personal growth, I highly recommend checking out this episode with Steven Kotler.  He has been studying human performance for over 30 years and has taught hundreds of thousands of people how to achieve peak performance evolved around Steven's latest book, Gnar Country, which addresses how to stay "rad" as you grow older. As someone who's pushing 50, I found Steven's insights on aging and how to maintain a sense of vitality fascinating, and I'm sure many listeners will find them useful as well. Steven shares his own experiences and struggles as we dive into Gnar Country, which is filled with valuable insights and practical advice for anyone looking to maintain their edge as they grow older. This conversation was a great reminder that it's never too late to pursue your passions and stay "rad" as you age. I hope you find it as engaging and thought-provoking as I did. Links Worth Exploring Connect with Steven: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn Buy Steven's

I was so happy to have Ryder Carroll back on show. It's always great to hear from the creator of the Bullet Journal, especially as the approach continues to evolve and gain in popularity.  In this episode, we cover a lot of ground, diving into the history of Bullet Journaling and exploring how it has developed over the years. It's always fascinating to hear about the origins of the method and how Ryder's approach has changed over time. Whether you're a seasoned Bullet Journal'er or new to the approach, there's something here for everyone. We touch on a wide range of topics, from intention setting and goal planning to the role of AI in productivity. Whether you're looking for tips on how to get more done or simply want to reflect on what really matters in life, this episode is definitely worth a listen. So grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and enjoy the conversation - you won't be disappointed. Links Worth Exploring Connect with Ryder: Website | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Read The Bullet Journal Method

In this episode of A Productive Conversation with Mike Vardy - we have special guest Yaro Starak. Yaro is the co-founder of Inbox Done. He shares his insights on why email management and delegation can be a challenge for some people and how to overcome these obstacles and we delve into the various types of clients that Inbox Done serves. We both share our thoughts on how Inbox Done has helped our clients streamline their email and become more productive. This discussion is very informative about the ins and outs of email management and the importance of delegation. It is both educational and entertaining, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in the world of email management! Links Worth Exploring Connect with Yaro: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn Check out what Inbox Done has to offer Legendary Comedian Bill Burr — Fear{less} with Tim Ferriss  Related Conversation: Episode 360: A World Without Email with Cal Newport Related Blog Post: 3 Ways to Power Through Your Email Inb

In this episode, I had the opportunity to speak with fellow Canadian, Marc Champagne. Marc is the author of the book "Personal Socrates". We had a great conversation about how the book was created through Baron Fig's new book imprint, and the various mental fitness practices and reflective questions that are shaping the lives of some of the most successful and brilliant thinkers in the world, both past, and present. Marc's book is a best-seller and explores the pointed questions that stimulate our mental fitness and teach us how to direct our internal narrative to work for us, instead of against us. During this conversation, we delved into the process of journaling, and the reasons why questioning is an essential aspect of mental fitness. It was a pleasure to have him on the program, and I'm sure listeners will enjoy the insights and wisdom he shared. Overall, it was a productive and engaging conversation and I hope you enjoy! Links Worth Exploring Connect with Marc: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn Buy Marc

I'm really excited to have this conversation with Paul Millerd because I had the chance to meet him back in June of 2022 at the World Domination Summit. We had a fantastic time connecting and discussing our shared interests in productivity and our modern relationship with work. Paul is an independent writer, creator, and sometimes freelancer, and he writes about these topics in a way that I find truly inspiring. During this conversation, we dive into his book "The Pathless Path" which is all about how people are imagining new paths beyond the default path that many of us grew up with. We talk about his own path and how he's found success as a writer, as well as discuss my own journey and the paths that we're each currently on. It's a really fascinating conversation and I think anyone who's interested in productivity and finding their own path in life will really enjoy it. Links Worth Exploring Connect with Paul: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn Buy Paul's book: The Pathless Path Relate

In this episode of A Productive Conversation, I sit down with Canadian business growth guru Cameron Herold to discuss the concept of the "second in command." Cameron is the mastermind behind hundreds of companies' exponential growth and has earned his reputation as the business growth guru. He is the author of six books - including The Second in Command - an international speaker, and the founder of the COO Alliance, the World's Leading Network for Seconds in Command. He's the host of the "Second in Command: The Chief Behind the Chief" podcast where he interviews COO's and other "second in command" to share their insights. During this conversation, Cameron and I delve into the importance of having a strong second in command and how it relates to the growth of a company, and I also talk about my own journey toward finding my second in command. I hope you find this episode as valuable as I did. Links Worth Exploring Connect with Cameron: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn Buy Cameron's book - The Seco

Alan Henry is a service journalist and editor who writes and commissions stories that help readers make better use of their technology and embrace a healthier relationship with it in their lives. Previously, the Smarter Living editor at The New York Times, the editor-in-chief of the productivity and lifestyle blog Lifehacker, the author of SEEN, HEARD, AND PAID, and is currently senior editor at Wired. In this episode, we chat about how the book came to be, healthy boundaries in the workplace, the new work rules for the marginalized, and so much more! Links Worth Exploring Connect with Alan: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter  Buy Alan's book: SEEN, HEARD, AND PAID Related Conversation: Perrine Farque talks about Inclusion Related Blog Post: Getting Things Done in Tough Places Thanks to all of the sponsors of this episode. You can find all of the sponsors you heard me mention on this episode on our Podcast Sponsors page. Want to support the podcast? Beyond checking out our sponsors, you can sub

I am joined yet again by productivity expert and international bestselling author - Chris Bailey. Chris has been on the show a handful of times and this one is a rather candid and comfortable conversation where we dive into his latest book, How to Calm your Mind. This episode was originally released as a live stream for Premium members of TimeCrafting Trust. Want to take partake in future live streams and much more? Sign up here! Links Worth Exploring Connect with Chris : Website | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Buy Chris's book How to Calm Your Mind Listen to The Time & Attention Podcast Related Conversation: Chris Bailey talks about Hyperfocus Related Blog Post: 3 Things You Can Do To Find Happiness Every Day Thanks to all of the sponsors of this episode. You can find all of the sponsors you heard me mention on this episode on our Podcast Sponsors page. Want to support the podcast? Beyond checking out our sponsors, you can subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Click on any of th

Marie Poulin is the creator of Notion Mastery and co-founder of Oki Doki. Diagnosed with ADHD, she believes that Notion is especially powerful for neurodivergent folks who have long struggled to adhere to traditional or rigid project management processes, and may need a little extra customization and flexibility. Because of this, she is passionate about helping others customize their workflows and workspaces to meet their unique needs and preferences.  In this episode, Marie suggests how to use Notion to its best potential. We discuss the idea of journaling, the importance of systems, tracking your habits, and so much more. I can't believe it took me this long to get Marie to be on the show and it was a delightful conversation with a fellow Canadian! Links Worth Exploring Connect with Marie: Website | Twitter  Visit the Notion Mastery website Listen to Why You Need Atomic Habits with James Clear Related Conversation: Tiago Forte talks about Building a Second Brain Related Blog Post: Taking Journaling

What if our bodies could talk? What if they could tell us that what we're doing to them and for them is either good or bad? On this vault episode, Dr. James Hamblin, Senior Editor at The Atlantic and the host of "If Our Bodies Could Talk" joins me on the show to talk about the things we can do to help ourselves and our bodies be more effective and efficient and the things we sometimes do that make them function at less than optimum levels. He's a funny guy. He's insightful. He's smart. We have a little bit in common. I'm no doctor. But I'm glad I got to speak to one here on this vault episode of A Productive Conversation with Mike Vardy. Links Worth Exploring Connect with James: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn Check out The Atlantic: If Our Bodies Could Talk Learn more about James Hamblin's work here Sad Desk Lunch: Is This How You Want to Die? - The Atlantic Single-Tasking Is the New Multitasking - The Atlantic Email Is Ruining Us: A Brilliant Solution - The Atlantic Related

Michelle Segar is the author of No Sweat, she is a lifestyle coach and an award-winning NIH-funded sustainable behavior change researcher at the University of Michigan. She's got nearly three decades under her belt, and she's pioneered methods to create sustainable, healthy behavior changes, those changes are being used to boost patient health, employee well-being and gym member retention. In this episode, we talk about behaviour change and habits, we talk about the concept of P.O.P., and of course, her latest book, The Joy Choice. I really think that this is a book worth your time and attention - and so is this episode! Links Worth Exploring Connect with Michelle: Website | Twitter | LinkedIn What Are Your Hidden Eating and Exercise TRAPs? Take the Quiz here! Buy Michelle's book: The Joy Choice Buy Michelle's book: No Sweat Related Conversation: The Four Tendencies with Gretchen Rubin Related Blog Post: A Productive Life: Integrating Habits Thanks to all of the sponsors of this episode. You can

"Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone".  That quote from Pablo Picasso are the first words I read in Matthew Dicks book Someday is Today: 22 Simple, Actionable Ways to Propel your Creative Life.  He is the author of nine other books beyond the one I just mentioned. He's a best-selling novelist, nationally recognized storyteller, and award-winning elementary school teacher. Matthew teaches storytelling and communications at universities, corporate workplaces, and community organizations. He's won multiple math Grand Slam story competitions, and together with his wife, they created the organization Speak Up to help others share their stories. They also co-host the Speak Up Storytelling Podcasts. I really enjoyed this conversation. We dive into the person who inspired me to do the work that I do now and quit my job. We also dig into this idea of perfectionism, we talk about performative productivity. And we talk about what he calls his 100-year-old plan, and lastly - we talk

If Jennifer Smith is right, the way anyone shares how-to knowledge is about to change forever. A former VC and McKinsey consultant turned accidental CEO, she interviewed more than 1,200 business leaders on a quest to understand everything there is to know about processes, best practices, and productivity. Now with her startup Scribe, she’s empowering people to own their processes by building the world’s first operating system for know-how. In this episode, we talk about all things Scribe. I mentioned how I discovered it, we chat about inbox zero, we geek out about quantitative and qualitative productivity, and so much more! Links Worth Exploring Connect with Jennifer: Website | Twitter | LinkedIn Get Scribe for FREE Mike talks about the Great Overwhelm Scott Friesen shows you how to use Scribe to create professional step-by-step guides  Related Conversation: Overcoming Overwhelm with Dr. Samantha Brody Related Blog Post: How to Start Pacing Your Productivity Thanks to all of the sponsors of this e

He's been a frequent guest not only on this podcast, but every podcast I've done in the past. This one is extra special because it's the 10th anniversary of the Sketchnote Handbook! Mike Rohde is a designer, teacher, and author of The Sketchnote Handbook and The Sketchnote Workbook, co-creator of The Sketchnote Ideabook, founder of Sketchnote Army, and Illustrator of REWORK, REMOTE, and The $100 Startup.  In this episode, we have a delightful conversation talking about everything Sketchnote and allude to some of Mike's other successes over the past decade. We chat about where the Sketchnoting community has gone, what's happened with him, what he expected, what surprised him, and all things in between.  This episode was originally released as a live stream for Premium members of TimeCrafting Trust. Want to take partake in future live streams and much more? Sign up here! Links Worth Exploring Connect with Mike: Website | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Flickr Get The Sketchnote Handbook Get half-off two

There's a better way to be the best.  That's what Mike Williams shares in his book, Doing to Done: Productivity Made Simple and what we talk about in this episode of A Productive Conversation with Mike Vardy. He is a speaker, author, executive, and coach who helps leaders obtain small wins with a big impact on their lives and businesses. Today, Mike assists clients using an effective coaching methodology that’s far from complicated. He also used what works to create Doing to Done. He's not the only one that's involved in this book, because it's illustrated for busy people like us! We talk about why he decided to put illustrations in this book, we dive into things like small wins the power of verbs, reflection, and its important clarity maps, as well as how to get email out of the way, so that you can make the work beats that you want to have last as short (or as long) as you want without having to worry about the external pings that are going on in your life.  This episode was originally released as a live st

Anna Tsui, is the creator of The Genius Method. She is a genius coach, international writer, speaker, and serial entrepreneur. Her bestselling book, “Shadow Magic: Turn your Fear Into Fuel and Create a Prosperous Coaching Business” shows readers how to overcome their personal self-sabotage and build a thriving career and business. In this episode, I tell the story about my shadow self that infiltrated my world not too long ago. We talk about some other elements of Anna's work, a bit of parenting, and there may be a few Star Wars references, too. There's a lot of great stuff in this episode, we had what we like to call a "badass" conversation, but it was productive! Links Worth Exploring Connect with Anna: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn Download half of Anna's bestselling book for free Buy Shadow Magic: Turn your Fear Into Fuel and Create a Prosperous Coaching Business Sign up for The Procrastination Course Related Conversation: Episode 332: Getting Productive With Astrology with Jill Blumen

On this episode, I'm joined by Tiago Forte.  He is the author of Building a Second Brain, a Proven Method to Organize your Digital Life and Unlock your Creative Potential. He is one of the world's foremost experts on productivity and has taught thousands of people around the world how timeless principles and the latest technology can revolutionize their productivity, creativity, and personal effectiveness.  We get into the depths of PKM productivity and what it really means to build a second brain. This conversation was truly productive and we could have covered so much more! This episode was originally released as a live stream for Premium Members of TimeCrafting Trust. Want to take partake in future live streams and much more? Sign up here! Links Worth Exploring Connect with Tiago : Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn Listen to Tiago's Podcast Get the Second Brain Quickstart Guide Buy Tiago's book Building a Second Brain Join the TimeCrafting Trust Membership Related Conversation: T

This week I am delighted to not bring you just one guest this week, but two! I am joined by John Baird and Edward Sullivan to discuss their new book Leading with Heart: 5 Conversations that Unlock Creativity, Purpose, and Results. This episode feels like a couple of friends having a conversation over coffee. We chat about the idea of the "lights on, lights off experiment", how fear and Maslow's hierarchy of needs play a part in why they constructed the book the way they did, and we go over how to read it! John Baird has been considered one of the premier executive coaches in Silicon Valley for over 25 years. He built his career coaching in the C-Suite at companies ranging from Apple and Nike to start-ups like DoorDash and MasterClass. He earned a PhD in Organizational Leadership from Purdue University. He is currently Founder & Chairman of the renowned executive coaching consultancy Velocity. Edward Sullivan has been coaching and advising start-up founders, Fortune 10 executives, and heads of state for over 1